Waiting in the Wings
by VampireQueen21
Summary: Rewrite of WitW. BA Buffy is at the ballet as well, what happens when Angel senses her?
1. Chapter 1

Waiting in the Wings

Author: Dez/Jezebel Jinx/VampireQueen21

Rating: Teen-light Mature

Couple: Buffy/Angel, slight romantic B/S but it's only a mention

Summary: Buffy is at the ballet to, Angel senses her and things go crazy.

A.N. Cordelia and Angel will not nor have they ever had a relationship besides friendship/brother and sister type love. When AtS started I was so happy that Cordelia and Angel had found a friend in each other but after the writers began to bring the two together in a 'in love' kind of way I got irritated. To me I always saw them having a family bond instead of a romantic one. So I wanted to 'fix' the WitW ep.

A.N. 2: No Connor, just did not want to deal with that story line. Angel still slept with Darla but she didn't return pregnant.

Warning: Slight bashing of Willow and Xander.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, really truly I don't. These characters belong to people other than me. Many of the _Angel_ lines are from the episode Waiting in the Wings, they don't belong to me.

**Chapter 1**

_Summers' Household; 11:23 a.m._

Music pumps out of Buffy Summers' speakers, she can practically see the notes dancing around her and twirling around her dancing body. Ever since Willow, Xander, Anya, and Tara ripped her out of Heaven she's been hallucinating, nothing really bad but weird.

It's like little pieces of Heaven are everywhere on Earth but no one but her sees them, it wasn't like this the first time she died, then again she had only been gone for two minutes. Her Buffy spirit probably didn't have time to leave her body let alone make the journey to Heaven.

Buffy hated being back here, her mother is still dead, her father is still gone with his secretary, her lover left her two and a half years ago, and now her sweet innocent little sister had gone back to where she came from. After she jumped into the portal to stop Glory from releasing Hell on Earth and from killing Dawn her sister disappeared, Buffy assumed Dawn returned back into her sisters body.

Although she is technically gone from this world Buffy can still feel Dawn's presence inside, when Buffy thought dealing with the world was too much that sliver of Dawn inside her got her through the difficult time.

After she had returned from the dead—again she told Willow and Tara to pack their bags and get out of her house. The only reason she had allowed them to stay there after her mother died was because Joyce died and she needed her friends and needed their help with Dawn. Now Dawn is no longer there and Willow and Tara aren't paying for anything so they shouldn't stay here, Buffy refused to let them stay here.

Tara, thankfully, respected her wishes for them to leave, but Willow didn't take it lying down. She got upset with Buffy that she was kicking her and her girlfriend out on the streets. It was then Giles, who had gotten back from England two days before, asked Willow how she had been paying to live in the Summers home.

To which she replied to using the money Joyce set aside after she died, according to Willow there was no other option, to which Giles suggested that she have gotten a job. The redhead had absolutely no right to touch any of the money Joyce set aside for Buffy and Dawn.

Eventually Tara helped convince Willow that it would be best if they left; it took the angry witch a long while to pack wanting to draw it out for as long as possible. Buffy was sure Willow was cursing her out in her mind like nobodies business, but at the moment in time the Slayer didn't care one bit, her 'friends' have mooched off her for the last time.

While Giles remained in town for the next few months only going to England when he absolutely had too, he stayed at her place with her, she gave him her old room and she took her mother's. During that time Willow didn't talk to her, Xander had taken his oldest friends side and ignored her as well. At first he tired to smooth things over with her but when Buffy gave him the reasons for kicking Willow and Tara out and that she wouldn't be letting come back to live with her he didn't talk to her either.

Anya and Tara on the other hand still are welcome in her home and have regular get togethers with her, Giles and Spike. Tara during the months had paid her back about half of the money she and Willow took while living there. It was enough for Buffy that Tara admitted she did wrong but when the Slayer refused the money Tara would have none of it and insisted she take it.

Spike became a close friend since her return, he knows what it is like to have to crawl out of your grave and think you're in Hell. In his own way Spike was hurting too, the bleached-blonde vampire cared for her little sister in way he hadn't thought possible, as awful as it may sound Dawnie's 'death' was a stepping stone to the easy camaraderie they have now.

That close friendship is what prompted her to invite Spike to move out of his grungy crypt he called home and move into the spare bedroom that had once been the guest room. She didn't offer him Dawn's room, even after she accepted Dawn's death she still couldn't bring herself to let anyone use that room. It became a storage area again when she went back into Buffy's body, but Buffy can still see the Parental Advisory posting in the corner, purple everywhere.

It was shortly after Spike moved in that she went to see Angel in the hotel room that is between Sunnydale and LA. He had heard about her sudden resurrection and needed to see her, she needed to see him too. Being there with him was like being back in Heaven again, she wasn't surprised after all he is an Angel.

The two of them for about the first ten minutes were touching and showering their love for one another but then something in Angel shifted and he pulled away taking all the happiness with him. It hurt that he pulled away from her, he physically, mentally and emotionally shut himself off from her, from their connection. Wasn't long after that that they left the hotel neither one looking back afraid if they did that they wouldn't be able to be strong enough to fight their desires.

Since Spike had moved in he changed the room severely, thick black curtains covered the double windows, and he re-painted the room a blood red. Even began to paint a mural, she never would have guessed Spike to be so talented, but he surprised her.

There was one point in their friendship when they had mistaken it for something more, she needed to feel loved and Spike needed to give someone love. They slept together; afterwards neither were very happy with themselves. Buffy went of her way to avoid Spike and Spike stayed holed up in his room, he got a lot of painting done that week.

It took a note slipped under her door from Spike saying he was sorry and if they could put the entire incident behind them to crack the ice wall between them. And it took Buffy apologizing for being a coward and not dealing with this sooner to break the ice completely. Now they're as close as can be, friendship wise, no dancing in the sheets for them.

As quickly as the came the musical notes dancing around her disappeared with the knock that sounded on her door. She reaches over to her stereo and turns the volume down; Buffy opens her bedroom door to Giles grinning like an idiot.

"Hey Giles, why are you smiling…it's kinda scaring me." She teases.

"I have marvelous news, you'll never believe who is going to be performing in LA, it's for tonight only…" He pulls three tickets out of his pocket, "Blinnikov World Ballet Tour, even got us a box and everything. You, Spike and I can go tonight, make an evening of it."

Buffy can't help but be effected by Giles' enthusiasm and grins at the man who's been more of father to her than her own. "That sounds like fun, you can teach me how to be proper and everything." Spike and Giles have…not become good friends but have found common interests, music, foods, Buffy, disgusted with Willow and Xander, things like that.

"Spike can rent a tux and you can buy a fancy new dress." Lately Buffy has been reverting back to the state she was in after she first came back from Heaven. Giles is doing everything he can think of to make sure she doesn't fall back into feeling nothing.

"But Giles I don't have much money to go out and buy a new dress." Disappointment creeps into her voice, but her Watcher waves his hand tossing the bad news away.

"No need to worry, I have money for you to buy a dress. Doesn't matter the cost Buffy," He places a hand on her shoulder in comfort, she really is a remarkable woman. Giles couldn't help but feel so much pride at how his Slayer and daughter has grown from the vain little school girl he met all those years ago.

Buffy is shaking her head to protest but again Giles puts her fears to rest. "I've been setting this money aside especially for you Buffy. It would honor me if you would use it to get a dress that you want."

The Slayer thinks it over for a moment, coming to a decision she nods reluctantly. Giles and Spike are already chipping in for food, electric, water, mortgage…all they do takes pressure off of her and now Giles is telling her he has money so she can get a dress. Buffy is overwhelmed with emotion; she rushes forward and grips him in a hard hug. "I love you Giles."

The Watcher returns the hug but quickly the embrace becomes painful…for Giles that is. Buffy is squeezing a bit too hard. "I love you too dear child, but please let go now."

"Oh sorry." She lets go smiling an apologetic grin.

Giles digs into his wallet, "Now, there is only two hours before the limo will be here to pick us up." He hands her a credit card. "Go hurry to the stores." Smirking at Buffy's obvious excitement he watches as she goes back into her room, grabs her purse and rushes past him and out the door. Now all he has to do is tell Spike, the younger British man is certain the Billy Idol wanna be will be more than happy to be a part of the make Buffy feel better plan. Even if he does have to go to a ballet.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you everyone for the great feedback. Here is the next chapter. The lines are from the ep WitW. After this chapter the dialogue will start to become different than the show.

**Chapter 2**

_Angel Investigations; 2:57 p.m._

With a spring in his step Angel climbs the basement stairs toward the lobby of his hotel. It is amazing that he got these tickets, Gunn wouldn't be too happy but he'd learn to love it. As he enters the lobby he hears the ending of Cordelia's conversation.

"…who's good with the loofah." Angel doesn't see her but she's in the room. Wesley is at the desk behind the counter. The silent vampire watches as the expression on Wesley's face changes from intrigued to bashful.

"I'm sorry. I missed that last part." He saves her any further embarrassment by quickly passing right by the statement. Wesley is positive she means it in a completely innocent manner but a small part of him wonders if the ghost doesn't get a little fresh now and then.

Cordelia stands nodding appreciatively "You _are_ a gentleman." A lesser man, Xander for instance, would have teased her mercilessly for hour's possibly even days about her small slip up. The loofah comment was meant to be innocent, Dennis is a complete although dead gentleman, he helps her out on her back when she too tired to try.

Deciding to make his presence known Angel speaks up. "Who's doing what with the Loofah?" He only heard the end but with Wesley's look right now it was something juicy. Amazing—he's never been that into gossip until Cordelia became his friend, now he wants to know everything that goes on.

Wes rises from his desk quickly covering for Cordelia, "Not Loofah, Looh-fah. Nooctm... Skumth. It's a demon." He smiles awkwardly.

The brunette stares at Angel's clothing, why is she not surprise. "So, you went with the dark clothes today." She's been trying for the past three years to get Angel into something other than dark clothes. At least when he was dating Buffy he had some grays, reds, and whites added in but now it's just black or dark blue.

Angel ignores her sarcastic comment, a talent he has mastered since she's become a part of his team. "Ask me why I'm smiling."

Grinning at him Cordy takes the bait. "I will, because it's scaring me." Truly it is, the only time he really smiles is when he's killing something, evil, or with Buffy. Everything seems to come back to the Slayer, not that she's surprised, he loves her. Cordelia doesn't care what Angel says he still and will always love the Sunnydale Slayer.

Angel pulls a small stack of tickets out of his back pocket and holds them up; Wesley couldn't understand why tickets would make Angel smile. From what Gunn told him all he asked Angel to do was get him some tickets for a local band he loved.

Still grinning Angel tells Cordy and Wes. "We - are stepping out." This will be a fabulous night and he couldn't think of a better way to spend an evening than with his friends. Frowning for a moment he realizes that's not true, spending it with Buffy would have been a better way.

Fred and Gunn enter the hotel, seeing their friends gathered around in the lobby Gunn quickly makes his way over to them. He only hops Angel got his tickets. "Morning friends and neighbors." Gunn notices the tickets in his hands. "Ooh, are those the tickets? You got 'em?"

Now it is time for the moment of truth, letting Gunn know he didn't get the tickets he wanted. "Well, I got to the ticket place and..."

"I'm paying you back. This one's on me." The demon fighter interrupts eager to get his hands on those tickets.

Speaking up from behind Gunn Fred greets everyone. "Morning."

Gunn is practically bouncing with excitement. He's been waiting for these tickets to go on sale and now that they were almost in grasp he is jumping for joy…in a pure manly and rugged way of course. "Mahta Hari is the tightest band in LA. You guys are gonna be trippin' out."

Again Angel tries to explain. "The only thing is..."

Gunn puts a hand on Angel's shoulder "Look, I said I'm good for it, man. Don't have to worry about dippin' into your vacation money." Not able to wait a second longer he grabs the tickets from Angel. "The time I saw the Mahta Hari at the Troubadour they where the…" He finally looks at the hard pieces of paper in his hand reading it aloud. "Blinnikov World Ballet Tour. What's going on?"

Sighing Angel starts to tell Gunn again, this time he hopes he shuts up long enough to hear everything he has to say about the tickets. "I was trying to tell you. I got to the ticket place and boom! Tonight only!"

"But - you got ballet on my Mahta Hari tickets." The betrayal is written all over the man's face. How unmanly is ballet, he could not go to the ballet.

"This is the Blinnikov World Ballet Corps." The vampire with a soul tells everyone with a sparkle in his eyes.

Cordelia still leaned over the lobby desk rolls her eyes. "He's been saying that like it has meaning."

Shock mares Angel's face, he would have thought least Wesley would be interested in this show. "This is one of the premier companies in the world. And they're going Giselle! It's their signature piece."

In a whining voice Gunn moans out. "This is all like some horrible dream." He simply could not face his crew after this; he'd be the laughing stock of the demon-hunting world. It's fine for Angel he's hundred's of years old, he's supposed to like this stuff.

A light bulb seems to go off in Wesley's head. "I think I've heard of them. Very ahead of their time."

Again with the smiling Angel nods. "Oh, yeah. Yeah. I saw their production of Giselle in eighteen-ninety. I cried like a baby. And I was evil!" Even now he can hear Angelus denying he cried at Giselle.

"I-I think it sounds exciting!" Nervous even after all these months of speaking her mind. Being in Pylea she learned not to speak up, but now that she's back slowly her confidence is returning.

"Yes." Wesley agrees. It will be his chance to make his moves on Fred. Oh she'll look gorgeous in an evening gown.

Gunn continues his tirade of complaints. "No. No! This is not Mahta Hari. This is tutus, and guys with their big-ass packages jumping up and down. This is just..." He turns to Angel. "I will never trust you again. The trust is gone." How could Angel do this?

Irritation surges in Cordelia, it's just a ballet how bad could it be? "Oh, get over it. Do we get dressed up?"

Angel nods. "Of course." What would be the point of going out to the ballet if you didn't get dressed up? Someone would look really ridiculous if they weren't dressed in fantastic clothing.

That is enough for Cordy. "I'm in."

Still trying to further sell the ballet to Gunn and the others Angel speaks to the others. "Guys, seeing real ballet live it's..." He sighs unable to correctly describe the feeling but he tries, "it's like another world. Gunn, these guys are tight, and you're gonna be trippin' out."

Gunn shakes his head. "Don't be usin' my own phrases when we lost the trust."

Sighing Cordelia brings up work. "Come on, guys. Working day, cases to solve." She wants to get this day over with so night will be there, she's really looking forward to this ballet thing Angel is so excited about.

Finally giving in Gunn raises his hands in surrender. "Okay. But I'm not still paying, right. Because this is..." He stares at the tickets in his hand stopping the whimper begging to escape, "this is... It's like a nightmare."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

I apologize for this chapter being short. But hey at least it is something. Enjoy.

**Chapter 3**

_Sunnydale; 3:30 p.m._

Giles knocks softly on Buffy's door, "Buffy? The limo's here." Buffy raced into the house a half an hour ago clutching her new dress tightly to her body. She only shouted 'showering' as she ran up the stairs toward her room only to come out a second later without her dress wearing a bathrobe scurrying into the bathroom.

"Coming." She calls from inside, "Wait downstairs I'm almost done."

"All right dear, but do hurry." Giles does what she asks and leaves the hallway heading downstairs where he and Spike wait. While he had been out and about getting a tux for Spike he ran into Willow and Xander near the Magic Box. Xander is still engaged to Anya and Willow is still seeing Tara however neither is particularly thrilled that Anya and Tara are still close with Buffy.

Willow and Xander still help with the slaying aspect of things and research however but their 'research parties' have only taken place at the Magic Box. Unfortunately Xander and Willow take any opportunity they can get to get a barb in on Buffy. Giles can tell his Slayer is quickly reaching her last nerve when it comes to the duo.

When the duo saw him carrying Spike's rented tux they questioned him about it, the tux seemed a little too small to be Giles'. All he told them is that he, Spike and Buffy were having an evening off in LA so not to expect any of them at the Magic Box later that evening. With that he left them standing on the sidewalk staring after him.

Finally Buffy leaves her bedroom and begins to descend down the stairs. Giles glances up at his Slayer and watches her walk towards them he couldn't be more proud. Even after everything she has had to deal with she can still smile, still continue on. "Buffy, you look lovely child." That smile only got brighter.

The dress she picked out is a simple but elegant light blue, ankle length dress. It cuts low in the back coming to a stop right before her butt makes an appearance and in the front showing the right amount of cleavage without looking trashy, and is held up by two thin spaghetti straps. "Thank you Giles. I can't thank you enough for—well everything."

"You deserve it Buffy. Now shall we depart for our evening of dinner and a show?" Giles nods to Spike, who smiles as he holds Buffy's matching light blue coat and helps her into it.

"Thank you Spike. You two look very handsome." Giles and Spike did look delish. If Giles wasn't like a father and Spike like a brother she could see getting with either one of them. She mentally shakes her head. There would have been a time when both of those thoughts have caused a shiver of disgust but now not so much.

Her two escorts slip on their own coats. Before Giles opens the door Spike wraps himself up in the blanket that's always by the door. "Let's go then." He nods to the Watcher that he's ready for the door to open and bathe them and his blanket in direct sunlight.

Giles holds out his arm for Buffy and she loops her through grinning up at him. He's so good to her. She hopes that someday he finds someone that's worthy of him. After Jenny it took him a while to get close to someone again and when he did it was someone who couldn't handle that his first priority is to her, Buffy.

Since then she has yet to see him even go on a date. Maybe tonight he'd get an opportunity to meet a woman that would be perfect for him. They'd except the Slayer whose like a daughter, the vampire who's growing on him, and hordes of demons waiting to suck out people's brains. There's a woman out there like that right?

Giles opens the door, Spike rushes out of the house and into the open limo while Buffy locks up the house. Carefully she walks with Giles arm and arm toward the limo.

The Watcher lets Buffy enter the limo first, then follows her in after she has gotten comfortable. "The last time I was in a limo was Homecoming." She remembers back to that night with Cordelia when Trick thought Faith would be in there with her. That's a memory that she'll always laugh about when she thinks on it too much.

"Oo, TV." She grins a child-like grin and turns it on to a game show. For the next half an hour Giles, Spike, and Buffy are yelling at the TV telling the constants what idiots they were.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

A.N. Another rather short chapter, I'm sorry but I'm going on vacation for the entire month of Oct. So I won't be writing or posting except for one Halloween fic, figured I get something out to this. And lastly while this is a mostly B/A fic there will be other pairings, since I'm not 100 sure who else will be who I'm keeping the pairings I have in mind to myself till I get closer to making up my mind.

**Chapter 4 **

Fred and Cordelia search through the dresses looking for the right one to step out in at the ballet. They found a few dresses but none that stood out and yelled this was the dress for them. "Are you certain this is the place for us?" Fred questioned.

"Well, we could always get our outfits at _Cave-girl's House of Burlap_ but that's just so last season." She teased her new friend. "Besides, the guys are all renting tux's. We gotta step up." She pulled a dress out but put it back the second she got a closer look at it.

Fred glanced around not wanting the ladies at the counter to hear her. "But aren't we—you know—poor?" How could they afford these fancy dresses? Angel tried to give them his credit card but Cordelia wouldn't hear of it.

"There's a custom amongst my people. It's called 'buying a dress, wearing it once, and returning it the next day'. It's all about hiding the tags while it's on. Believe me I can hide any tag so don't worry about it." She tried to assure the girl.

"Oh, ok. I guess that's all right. I'm very excited about tonight. I love the ballet. I mean, I haven't seen that much, but my family used to go to the Nutcracker every Christmas and I had my first sexual dream about the Mouse King." Fred admitted, which only earned her a strange look from Cordy.

She grabbed a dress from the rack and turned to her shopping companion. "Face me." Cordy held the dress up against Fred but shook her head. It wasn't the right dress; she had to find her friend the right dress to impress Wesley. Although Wes would be fine if she showed up in a garbage bag all he could see was Fred's undeniable loveliness.

"Can I ask you something?" Fred questioned. She wanted to know if Gunn liked her, he was so handsome and strong. And funny, he always made her laugh…normally when she had food in mouth.

"I think you guys are perfect for each other." She glanced at yet another dress before smiling at her. "I have magic powers, remember?" Wes definitely had the hots for Fred.

"It -it's not like we've said anything or... but he's so sweet... and commanding, and I feel so comfortable around him..." She looked down a little flustered. "I mean, I don't even know if he feels..." Worried that Gunn only saw her as a friend.

Fred had nothing to worry about. "He feels." Cordy confirmed.

"Feelings?" She didn't want to get her hopes up, but it was difficult not too. Cordy said Gunn felt, he could definitely feel for her…right?

Cordy shot another grin her way. "Oh, there is definite feelings. We find the right outfit for tonight, there may be actual feeling." In the corner she thought she found the perfect dress for Fred tonight, taking it off the rack she nodded. This was the one.

"And then we have to find a dress for you. Something that will make Angel crazy."

Cordy coughed uncomfortably trying to get passed her shock. "Excuse me? Angel and I—no, one: never going to happen, he'll always belong to Buffy."

"Whose Buffy? And why does Angel belong to Buffy? I've never seen her." She heard about her though when Angel was talking to her in the garden and Cordelia burst in saying that Buffy was alive. After that Angel left and she hadn't seen him for three days.

"Buffy is Angel's soulmate…plain and simple. Although it's really a whole complicated thing that I don't really want to get into. Maybe 'belong to' is the wrong choice of words, but I can't see anybody coming between those two." She explained. "Second thing Angel is like my brother, going after him—" Cordy couldn't even finish before she shivered in disgust. Yeah Angel was a hottie but living in LA for three working side by side with him they developed a best friend/sibling relationship.

"But I've seen you two spar downstairs, you're one when you move with each other. Complete Kyrumption." She breathed out. "Lorne even agrees with me."

"Listen Fred, Angel and I will always be close, that's what happens when you work with someone for three years. Sometimes I even had to live with him—believe me after that no way would I want to date him. Too many bad habits that I couldn't get used to let me tell you." Cordy finally found the perfect dress for herself. "Angel's past, present, and future is filled with one woman, and that's Buffy."

Frustrated Fred shrugged her shoulders willing to let it go for now, but soon she'd get the two together. She couldn't be wrong about them having feelings for each other, just like Cordy said Gunn had with her. Maybe she couldn't see it because it dealt with her own personal future. Well, she knew what she saw and that was Kyrumption.

"Come on let's go pay for these dresses and get back to hotel. I'm sure the guys are done getting their tuxes by now." Cordy dropped the topic for a new more comfortable one. Yes, she loved Angel, but it was a sister love.

When Angel first came to Sunnydale there was no denying she felt an attraction to him. He's gorgeous; she'd have to be dead to not notice. But she always knew there was someone else out there for her, even when she pursued him for that brief time she knew she wouldn't be with him forever, if she ever got him. She and Fred go up to counter and pay for their items, tomorrow they'd bring them back and get the fourteen hundred the two dresses cost back.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_LA; 5:43 p.m._

Two hours later the trio arrived in LA and made their way to the restaurant they were eating at before the ballet. The sun had sunk a few minutes ago, for Spike that's a very good thing; it wouldn't do to have one of her date's go up in smoke.

Buffy hugged Giles who sat next to her. "Thank you so much for this." She told him sincerely.

"You're welcome dear girl. You needed it--or at least something like it. Figured the ballet would give you an opportunity to dress up and enjoy a show." He smirked. Buffy's the daughter he never knew he wanted. When he first met her that day in Sunnydale he thought she was flaky, insolent, shallow, impulsive, and a little dim-witted.

After knowing her for only a few days he was able to scratch the surface of that "dumb blonde" exterior and found a bright, caring, quick study, willing to do anything to save the world, and capable young woman. So many facets of her personality, many you had to stick around and get to know her to find.

"Alright you two hens quit getting all mushy. Won't do any good to have your makeup running." Spike rose a scarred eyebrow.

"Oh are you feeling left out." Buffy teasingly pouted. "Come here let Buffy make it better." She hugged the bleached blonde tightly, if he'd been alive she would have cut off his air supply.

A few minutes later their limo pulled up to the restaurant. The driver ran out and opened the door by the curb for them. Giles exited first and held his hand out to Buffy helping her out. Spike followed dumping the blanket on the other end of the seats.

"What I don't get a help up? See if I ever go out with you again." Spike teased, straightening his black jacket. He knew the limo driver was confused about the relationship, he'd been shifting his eyes between him, Giles and the Slayer all night. They were lucky the man didn't crash into the cars in front of him with all the time he spent not watching the road.

"Do shut up Spike." Giles' long black overcoat blew in the wind behind him. He spared Spike a glare and thread Buffy's arm through his.

Reaching back Buffy grabbed Spike's cool hand and threaded their fingers together. Both gentlemen with her had been her rocks through all this adjusting...she still hadn't fully adjusted, sometimes all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry. Come to think of it she did do that a lot still. Maybe not as often as when she first came back but often enough where she's worried about it.

The trio walked into the restaurant hand and hand and arm. The hostess led them to their table and handed them the menus. Once she left Buffy turned to Giles.

"What's my limit?" Her mother always taught her that it's a good idea when out to dinner, but mostly on a date, to ask how much the date was willing to spend. Mom told a story about when she was still on the dating scene before she met Hank that she went out with a jerk of a guy.

They had gone to dinner, he asked her, and her father told her that if a guy asked her out then he paid, and that if she asked a boy out then she'd pay. Before the waitress came she asked him what he was going to have; he mentioned the lobster and steak dinner, so Mom ordered a meal that cost a little less then his meal.

During dinner they had a great conversation, had a few drinks, he ordered some appetizers, shrimp cocktail, crab legs, a lot of expensive food. Mom hadn't minded, especially since she thought he would pay. Before the bill came he excused himself to go to the restroom. Once the bill arrived he still hadn't shown up but Mom wasn't worried, he'd only been gone for a few minutes.

However when ten minutes passed she got curious, when another five minutes passed she got angry. Thankfully she brought her credit card and paid for the expensive, almost two hundred-dollar meal. Left a generous tip for the waiter and made her way to the restroom. She did her business and then went out to the parking lot, her dates car was no where to be found. And she walked up and down that lot three times before going inside and asking the hostess to call her a cab.

The next week she saw the guy again, this time he was walking with a short brunette woman. Still steamed over her dates dine n' dash she stormed up to him and punched him in the nose. When the woman with her screamed Mom turned to her and told her what the guy did. The brunette left him there cradling his broken nose.

After she was old enough to date Mom gave her many tidbits of wisdom when it came to dating. Always bring enough money to pay for your meal and a cab ride home. Always ask what the limit is and always bring money for a phone call.

"No limit Buffy. Get anything you want." Giles told her.

"Yay." She grinned and swayed back and forth for a couple seconds in excitement.

An hour and a half later they were finishing up their deserts. When their waiter came up with their check he saw Giles feeding her a piece of his pie. It rose a few questions in his mind if the confusion on his face was any indication. "Will there be anything else?" He asked.

"No thank you that'll be all." Giles looked at the bill and laid out about three hundred dollars. "We won't be needing change." He smiled at the gentlemen and watched as he practically skipped away at the size of his tip.

"Thank you for dinner Giles. It was fantastic." Buffy leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Dear heart it was my pleasure." He tapped her hand. "Are we ready to go?"

"Definitely." Buffy grinned. In ten minutes they were out of the restaurant and headed toward the theatre the ballet was being held in. She could hardly wait. The feeling that something would be waiting for her there wouldn't leave her alone. Who'd she know that'd be at the ballet tonight?

TBC


End file.
